Journal Entry 25

October 23rd, 2003

"Same Same But Different"

 

One of the most common phrases in southeast Asia. It's used primarily by vendors to describe how their merchandise is better than that which everyone else is selling and otherwise identical. Especially popular phrase in Vietnam.

Okay, first I need to dispell two almost-universal things that I've heard countless people say in regards to Vietnam.

(1) Vietnamese are the rudest people in southeast Asia. False. The people are smily and happy, even when/if they try to rip you off. If you get away from the areas where tourists typically go, you'll see how friendly they are. No doubt, they are direct and aggressive, more so than most Asians. But I like the attitude; they're not pushovers like some. Even on the notoriously bad local buses, I had a good experience.

(2) Vietnamese food is the best in southeast Asia. False. Thai is still the best in this region, and sticky rice and fried seaweed in Laos. The best thing in Vietnam is the 6.5-cent baguettes sold everywhere. And the coffee. The food is good here, just not to the mind-blowing level that people describe.

So I entered Vietnam from Laos. Vietnamese bureaucracy was all it had promised to be. It was my longest border crossing ever, involving about 1 1/2 hrs, 2 "fees", a few forms, and visits to random offices in a random order. Lovely. A dazzling display of Communist efficiency and how it works so well in practice.

Once in Vietnam, I had the kid-before-Christmas syndrome again, proof I guess, that I'm still excited about travel and not getting burnt out. I LOVE arriving in a new place! In total it was a 25-hr journey from Vientiane to Vietnam's capital of Hanoi.

Hanoi: scooter capital of the world. Baguettes sold on every street (at least part of the French legacy was positive...coffee, too). A big statue of Lenin. Bia hoi. Markets and people and street vendors and scooters--a chaotic, energy-overflowing city. Crossing the road is an adventure. I figured it out though. The key? Don't look. Not directly anyway, only with your peripheral vision. If cars/scooters/people know that you've seen them, it's a given that it's your job to avoid collision. You'll never get across a street this way. If you don't look, and simply take a leap of faith, you'll get somewhere. People slow down, swerve, honk, perhaps get angry...but you cross.

I mentioned "bia hoi" before. This is such a great concept that Western productivity would plummet if we had it. All over, on any street seemingly, there are kegs set up. Grab a stool, have a seat, and order a beer. For ten cents. Any time of day. Cool, huh?

Anyway, after a couple days in Hanoi, I was off to Ha Long Bay. It's a bay with lots of round rocks that stick out of the water. And some caves. Highlights of this trip were the great bunch of people I was with, swimming in the bay (and jumping off the upper deck of the boat), and the good food. Stayed on an island out there (Cat Ba), before returning to Hanoi.

Back in the capital again, I ran into Jay and Smike, the Austrians that had shared the boat with me back in Laos. Funny how those things happen. September 2 was Vietnam's National Day, but not much seemed to be happening, other than people (mostly Vietnamese) out in droves to go to Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum. I'm not much into staring at dead embalmed people, so I had a more relaxing time in the Old Quarter of town, browsing through shops, eating, taking walks, getting lost. Met up with the Austrians and we had a self-made National Day feast: roast pigeon, eel, frog legs, tofu, spinach, spring rolls, and rice, followed by seven "bia hoi"s apiece. Yum!

One of the more interesting things I've done of late was to visit Hanoi's Army Museum. This was a strange experience. There are exhibits of both French and American stuff that the north Vietnamese blew up or shot down. Very propagandic. Extremely one-sided. The same exhibits are used on one hand to display the cruelty of the oppressor (America or France), and may be used elsewhere to show Vietnamese ingenuity. Really paints a good-versus-evil picture. One of the most interesting aspects of the museum was to page through the guestbook. One Canadian put it well when he remarked that it was a terrible war...both sides committed atrocities and had losses...the difference is that in the West, we are told both sides. And the Vietnamese only get one side from their government. And on a sadder note, there were some pretty harsh comments from Westerners that seemed to whole-heartedly be taken in by the propaganda and denounce Americans in general as "imperialists".

Hanoi is a great city, probably my favorite in Asia, this region of Asia anyway. You can sleep for $1/night. And walk through markets off the tourist track where you're greeted by the friendliest smiles. The hustle bustle of the street, and calmness of the nearly-deserted, forlorn city parks. I could live there. Really.

Much as I liked it, I had to leave Hanoi. I made my way through Vietnam from the north to the south. First, I took a night bus to Hue. I rented a bike and explored. As the former royal seat of Vietnam, there are many mausoleums outside the city--the main tourist draw. I visitied one: Tu Duc Mausoleum. A huge walled enclosure with a brick-lined artificial lake, gardens, buildings, and of course the tomb. Kinda weird how they built these during their lifetime...I can't imagine spending many years of my life building my own mausoleum.

But back to the town itself...Its best attribute is that away from a few streets, it's a completely "normal" city. Again, I was showered with smiles from friendly people and good food.

Then I made a short hop south to the small town of Hoi An. This is a bit set up as a traveller's center. The main thing people do here is get clothes tailored. I fell into the trap and emerged $140 later with two suits, a tie, two pants, and six shirts. Damn. A good deal (at least, I'm pretty sure that's less than what I'd pay back home), but a lot of cash to part with as well. Enjoyed lots of tomato avocado baguettes as well. With lots of salt and pepper. Try it!

Had to get out though...moved on to Da Lat. It's a town up in the hills, 300km from Saigon. Vietnam's #1 honeymoon destination. It's nicely set up with shops and markets and bakeries. The town is similar to some of the Indian hill stations I've been to. Winding streets that follow the contours of hills...easy to get lost...great climate...good place to just go for walks...a nice break from the heat...local mulberry wine there as well.

Da Lat is also the home of "ca phe cut chon". It's a rare and expensive cofee. There's a special breed of fox or mink (depending on who you talk to) that eats these coffee beans (and they supposedly pick only the best ones to eat) and their digestive systems break down the shells. Then they shit it out. You collect these dropping, pick the beans out, and make a knockout cup of coffee. What a concept! Unfortunately, these critters are almost extinct now and I couldn't find the real deal.

My favorite sight in Da Lat was the Hang Nha Guesthouse, where a local architect went kinda nuts and created a fantasy house of sorts. A guesthouse partly inside a giraffe. Weirdly-shaped windows and doors and mirrors and beds. Kind of like a cross between Alice in Wonderland and something from a Dr. Seuss book. It's how I'd build my own house if I didn't have to live with building codes and didn't care what anyone else thought!

From Da Lat, I moved on to Ho Chi Minh City (the "new" name of Saigon). I toured some sights relating to the Vietnam War (here, it's called the "American War"). The Cu Chi Tunnels were a North Vietnamese camp right on the edge (and under) an American base. Some of them you could crawl through. Also visited the War Remnants Museum. This was one of the most powerful exhibits on war that I've ever seen. One part of the museum was dedicated to displaying photos taken by journalists that lost their lives during the war. Another part showed the effects of the chemical and biological weapons (napalm, phosphorous, dioxins, etc.) used during the war. It was really gruesome; it would convince anyone that these cruel weapons should never be used.

Saigon at times feels like a very modern city compared to the rest of Vietnam. But when you leave the main areas, it can be pretty slummy. Overall, I liked Hanoi much better. But it was a great stop that allowed me to see some of the differences that still exist between the South and the North.

En route to Cambodia now, I spent three days making my way west through the Mekong Delta. I enjoyed boat trips down canals and rivers and visiting both land and floating markets (and eating baby jackfruit, dragonfruit, and these potato-like things that look like miniature gremlin heads). I also did a homestay with a family on a small island, where I had one of the best meals of my entire trip.

I ended up in Chau Doc, where I sent out Journal Entry #22. It was a great last stop to the Vietnamese portion of my trip. Most people seem to end up there only in transit, but hanging out a day gave me a perfect chance to put my Vietnamese to work as I wandered through the streets and the large market while people felt my arm hair and squeezed my white skin to see if it felt the same as theirs.

Some comments on Vietnam in regards to the war...a guy who fought on for the South told me that if there were another war, they'd oppose America. Why? Because if you lose, America won't punish you. And if you win, well, you've won. When the South lost, it was really a mess for Southerners, it seems. They were sent to Communist "reeducation camps", which were basically prisons. The North looted the South (which had much more to loot, since it was a relatively free place). To this day, people will say that Southerners are discriminated against and no one (South or North) can speak against the Communist government for fear of repercussions. One of the most interesting things I heard is how the Northerners were amazed when they overran Saigon at last and saw how good they had had it there...perhaps realizing too late that what they were fighting for probably wasn't what they wanted or what the government had promised it would be!
Some tidbits...

There's a fast-growing religion in Vietnam called Cao Dai. Apparently, they worship anyone who's said to have made it to heaven. When I asked one guy to be specific, he replied: Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Buddha, Hindu gods, Confucious, Taoism, and Victor Hugo. No kidding.

There's a striking resemblance between Uncle Ho (Ho Chi Minh) and Colonel Sanders (of KFC). Eerie.

Vietnamese coffee is really really good (but I think I've said this before). And yes, they really do wear those conical wicker hats here. If I had bought a motorcycle here instead of India, I'd be dead; Vietnam is crazy...there aren't as many unusual obstacles as there are in India, but it's more congested and much higher speeds are involved.

One of my most memorable experiences was when my flip-flops busted as I was walking down a street in Saigon. The place where I was breakfasting tracked down a pair of used ones for me and swapped them...for free. That's the kind of thing that makes you love a place!

It rains all the time. It started back in June when I was still in India. And it's never really quit. I can honestly say that since late June, I think it's rained about 90% of the days. That was four months ago. It can get wearisome at times.

I write this message from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. After leaving Vietnam and passing through Cambodia, I met my brother in Bangkok on September 21. We spent almost five weeks together and he left today. More is soon to follow on our time together...

"'Say, Pooh, why aren't you busy?' I said.
'Because it's a nice day,' said Pooh.
'Yes, but-'
'Why ruin it?' he said." (-Hoff)

 

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